Arvind Kejriwal steps in to review fight against dengue

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal stepped in to review preparations at hospitals to check the spread of dengue in the national capital as the Union home ministry asked Delhi government to increase the number of beds in the government hospitals and to make adequate quantity of platelets available to the patients.

The Delhi government ordered all its hospitals to open fever clinics to offer treatment to people affected by the vector-borne disease and launched a helpline, 011-23307145, which will function round-the-clock to provide all relevant information about dengue and its treatment.

With dengue cases assuming alarming proportions, the chief minister, at a meeting with almost all the MLAs and top officials, directed the legislators to visit the hospitals in their constituencies at least once daily and report back to government if there was any inadequacy in treatment of the patients. “While you visit the hospital, talk to the patients. See that there is no panic. Ensure that the stock of medicines is proper, ensure that the hospital is clean and no one is turned away by the hospital. Also see that there are ample testing kits available in the hospital. In case of shortage of any of these, please tell us,” Mr Kejriwal said.

After a meeting with district medical officers, regional health directors and top officials of his department, health minister Satyendar Jain urged people not to panic and said government has made adequate arrangements to deal with the situation. Mr Jain said suspected dengue patients should get themselves tested only in government hospitals as far as possible because it is free of cost and reports come within two hours.

He also appealed to people to leave the issue of admission in hospitals to the doctors and not insist on admission. “I have ordered all government hospitals that they should not refuse to admit dengue patients even if they have to treat two patients on a single bed. Admission of patients to hospital should be left to doctors,” the minister said.

Alarming rise in the number of dengue cases has put the civic bodies on their toes, all of which are now further intensifying their awareness-cum-prevention drive.

With over 1,000 new cases in September, total number of dengue cases in the national capital has crossed the 1,800 mark, highest in last five years. Out of total 1.872 dengue cases reported this year, 1,041 were reported this month. Death toll due to dengue also increased from two to five this year, which is last highest in last four years.